January 25, 2018 – Lawyer wonders if new corporate accountability watchdog will have teeth —

The government’s announcement to establish an ombudsperson to investigate allegations of human rights abuses linked to Canadian corporations working abroad comes with no timeline on when the role will be filled and active.

“The intention is to have an ombudsperson in place as soon as possible. The expectation is to open the application process within the coming weeks, but we will take the time needed to ensure an open, transparent and merit-based process is followed,” said Brianne Maxwell, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada.